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Neighbor System's Jungwook Choi, Principal Research Scientist and Chisong Ryu, Senior Researcher, joined by interpreter Emma Lim, Women's Empowerment Program Facilitator at North York Women's Centre, visited SPRINT Senior Care on Wednesday, January 24, 2018, to learn about Toronto Ride.

The delegates met with our team to discuss how Toronto Ride provides transportation services for older adults and people with disabilities, and they were particularly interested in learning about the challenges we have faced and how we have dealt with them. Through a demonstration of our centralized scheduling software, we showed how it enables us to work more closely together with our partner agencies.

This meeting was a great opportunity to learn about how Toronto Ride differs from comparable transportation services in South Korea; yet how they are similar in many ways, with the same challenges being faced such as securing sufficient funding for vehicles and providing equitable service for all clients, regardless of where they live.

We are very thankful to Jungwook, Chisong and Emma for taking the time to visit and learn about Toronto Ride.

SPRINT Senior Care contribues to UHN OpenLab's story on the detrimental effects of bed bugs on seniors

The Local is a storytelling platform that brings a human dimension to population health data in the Toronto Central LHIN. It tells hyperlocal stories about population health issues and grassroots innovations happening within the Toronto neighbourhoods that make up the LHIN’s five sub-regions.

On Wednesday, November 15, 2017, The Local published a story titled When a Bedbug Problem Snowballs into an Emergency, on how “something as mundane as a bedbug infestation, which might once have been considered a minor public health issue, can quickly snowball into a costly and traumatic ordeal.”

For the story, SPRINT Senior Care contributed our input on the devastating effects infestations can have on seniors in our community.

SPRINT Senior Care celebrates Community Support Services Month

October is Community Support Services Month – an opportunity to celebrate the services and the individuals that help seniors and people with disabilities live independently.

Community support services support nearly one million Ontarians each year, including seniors and people with disabilities. They help clients live independently in their own homes and communities as long as possible, and reduce the burden on family caregivers and other parts of the health care system. As Ontario’s population ages, community support services will become even more important.

Here at SPRINT Senior Care, we see firsthand how critical community support services are to building a sustainable health system, and we are committed to providing exceptional care and quality services that enable seniors to live at home and thrive in their communities. We know this simply wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated staff and volunteers. Throughout the month of October, we are excited to acknowledge their dedication and the important work they do.

Toronto Ride, led by SPRINT Senior Care, is a collaborative partnership of 13 not-for-profit, community support service agencies that provides assisted, door-to-door transportation to seniors over 55 years of age and adults with disabilities who are not eligible for Wheel-Trans. The goal is to help our clients continue to live independently in the community by providing transportation to their healthcare and other important appointments. The partnership provides approximately 189,000 rides per year to over 4,000 clients, the majority of whom are seniors.

This generous donation from The Rotary Club of Toronto Charitable Foundation will allow Toronto Ride to maintain its commitment to providing safe, reliable transportation service throughout Toronto, reducing isolation amongst seniors and adults with disabilities and enabling them to live independently.

At 95 years old, Toronto Ride client Harry, photographed above with SPRINT Senior Care CEO Stacy and Transportation Driver Paul, lives alone and relies on the service to get him where he needs to go safely. “The transportation service is exceptionally good. All the drivers are great. They come to my door to pick me up and deliver me to where I need to go.”

”For the safety of our clients, it is critical that our fleet be well maintained,” says Kai Simmons, Manager of Toronto Ride. “The older the vehicles get, the more often they need to be repaired, which is very costly and impacts the number of trips we can provide to our clients. These new vehicles donated by The Rotary Club of Toronto Charitable Foundation will enable us to provide a more efficient and seamless service to seniors in need.”

Toronto Ride would like to express our sincere gratitude to The Rotary Club of Toronto Charitable Foundation for their commitment to this vital community support service.

Sunnybrook Hospital CEO & President visits SPRINT Senior Care

On August 30, 2017, we were pleased to have Sunnybrook Hospital's CEO & President Dr. Andy Smith, joined by Malcolm Moffat, Executive Vice-President Programs, Dr. Karen Fleming Interim Chief, Department of Family & Community Medicine and Tracy Hussey, Patient Care Manager, Academic Family Health Team, visit us to learn about SPRINT Senior Care's role in the healthcare system, and to discuss ways to better collaborate. "It's a team sport," says Dr. Smith.

We also took them to meet Supportive Housing client Margo who told them about the community care she receives, saying “SPRINT Senior Care is my lifesaver.”

Thank you for visiting, Sunnybrook Hospital!

SPRINT Senior Care and Alzheimer Society of Toronto present Young Onset Dementia program

SPRINT Senior Care and Alzheimer Society of Toronto are launching a unique wellness program for people living with Young Onset Dementia (under 65), called Saturdays @ SPRINT Senior Care. Find out more: Young Onset Dementia Program.

SPRINT Senior Care does the Toronto Challenge 2017

SPRINT Senior Care would like to say a huge THANK YOU to all who supported our Toronto Challenge campaign!

We chose to participate in the City of Toronto’s annual Toronto Challenge, because it’s an excellent opportunity to garner support for non-profit organizations – like ours – that are committed to improving the quality of life of seniors. All funds raised through pledges of SPRINT Senior Care registrants come directly to our agency to support us in providing services that enable seniors to live at home and thrive in their communities.

Thank you to the 45 participants who joined us on Sunday, June 11th for a fantastic, fun and sun-filled morning! And thank you to the generous donors who have raised $6422 to date!

Annual Volunteer Recognition Event

On Wednesday, April 26, 2017, SPRINT Senior Care celebrated our incredible volunteers at our Annual Volunteer Recognition Event, held at The Bob Rumball Centre for the Deaf. We would like to thank all those who joined us for this special event, and congratulate our award recipients below.

SPRINT Senior Care hosts Minister of Health and Long-term Care and Minister of Finance for new caregiver supports announcement, April 25, 2017

SPRINT Senior Care was excited to host Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care and Charles Sousa, Minister of Finance, for a media announcement this morning regarding new provincial supports for caregivers.

From the news release: “Ontario is making it easier for people who care for loved ones, with more respite services that allow people to take a break from their unpaid duties, increased education and training opportunities for caregivers, and a new, streamlined Ontario Caregiver Tax Credit.”

Five incredible caregivers – Helen, Ruth, Don, Winnie and Gini – who receive caregiver support services from SPRINT Senior Care met with the Ministers prior to the event to share their personal stories, with the Ministers aptly referring to them as the “unsung heroes.” Following the announcement, Helen publically and poignantly spoke about her experience as a caregiver.

“As an organization that works with caregivers every day, we understand the significant emotional and physical demands of caregiving, and we are very proud to provide support that helps them cope with their demands and lessens their burden,” says SPRINT Senior Care CEO Stacy Landau. “We are excited about this announcement and hope that this new funding will provide the much needed assistance for valuable caregiver programs in the community – including Adult Day Programs, Caregiver Support Groups, Social Work, system navigation and respite support via Personal Support Workers in the home and community.”

We're participating in the Toronto Challenge 2017, and we want you to join us!

Register for the Toronto Challenge

In person or by mail: Return the Toronto Challenge Registration Form plus fee payable to the City of Toronto, to SPRINT Senior Care’s Communications & Development Department: 140 Merton Street, 2nd Floor, Toronto, ON M4S 1A1.

The deadline to pre-register through SPRINT Senior Care is Friday, May 26, 2017. You may register in-person on race day; however higher registration rates apply.

Thank you for fundraising!

Pledgers can support registrants by donating through the registrant, or online via SPRINT Senior Care’s website. Charitable tax receipts are provided for donations over $10.

In person through registrant: Registrant must track and collect pledgers’ information and funds using the Toronto Challenge Pledge Form. Registrant must provide the pledge form including cash or cheque payments to SPRINT Senior Care’s Communications & Development Department: 140 Merton Street, 2nd Floor, Toronto, ON M4S 1A1.

Online: Pledgers can donate online, noting that their donation is in support of Toronto Challenge. Registrant must still provide enclosed pledge form including any additional cash or cheque payments to SPRINT Senior Care’s Communications & Development Department: 140 Merton Street, 2nd Floor, Toronto, ON M4S 1A1.

The deadline to submit your pledge form and funds is Monday, June 19, 2017. To get a SPRINT Senior Care Dri-FIT t-shirt, you must submit your pledge form and funds with over $50 raised by Friday, May 26, 2017.

Race kit pick-up

Please select your preference for race kit pick-up (includes SPRINT Senior Care water bottle and Dri-FIT t-shirt, if eligible) on your Registration Form. Online registrants must contact SPRINT Senior Care if they prefer advance race kit pick-up, otherwise they are responsible for collecting their kit on race day as per below.

SPRINT Senior Care is launching an LGBT Educational Series

SPRINT Senior Care client’s story featured in UHN OpenLab’s The Local

The Local is a storytelling platform that brings a human dimension to population health data in the Toronto Central LHIN. It tells hyperlocal stories about population health issues and grassroots innovations happening within the Toronto neighbourhoods that make up the LHIN’s five sub-regions.

The majority of neighbourhoods in North Toronto have a higher population of seniors living alone, compared to the rest of the Toronto Central LHIN. In fact, in Mount Pleasant West, 58% of seniors live alone.

Home Alone: A Portrait Series, takes you into the lives of seniors, including 103 year-old SPRINT Senior Care client Mr. Kwok and 92 year-old SPRINT Senior Care client Ms. Palmer, who both live in one of the four Toronto Community Housing buildings from which SPRINT Senior Care provides services to around 160 seniors. Listen to their stories below.

Toronto Central LHIN has divided its region into five sub-regions to provide a foundation for the development of local integrated systems to ensure that residents receive better health outcomes. According to Toronto Central LHIN, these local planning areas will assist the Toronto Central LHIN to more effectively plan, evaluate and improve each local health system. This work will be done in consultation and partnership with its residents, patients and health service providers to ensure that the system is responsive to the unique local communities within the city of Toronto. They will use these planning areas as a means to better identify and respond to population need and to better plan together, coordinate and integrate service delivery, and improve population health and equity in health outcomes. It is important to note that the sub-regions are not service boundaries and will continue to allow for patient choice.

Toronto Central LHIN has appointed SPRINT Senior Care CEO Stacy Landau as the North Toronto Community Care Co-Lead. The Community Care Leads with representation from Community Support Service (CSS) and Community Mental Health and Addictions (CMHA), act as advisors to the Toronto Central LHIN. Leads are responsible for transparent communication, collaboration, and coordination with CSS and CMHA providers across their sub-region and bringing forward the range of perspectives to LHIN-related discussions. These leaders work collaboratively with the Primary Care Clinical Leads, Hospital Resource Partners, and sub-region leads from the Toronto Central CCAC and LHIN.

SPRINT Senior Care Hosts 2016 Annual Volunteer Social

SPRINT Senior Care could not care for seniors without a dedicated army of volunteers who generously give their time. On Thursday, November 10th, we brought our amazing volunteers together for the Annual Volunteer Social.

We would like thank our sponsors who graciously provided us with door prizes for the event, including: